Pick Me Up

Lately I have found myself in one of those no-win situations, and boy has it been a downer. Tears, stress, barely controlled cravings for pie... Yech.

Today, when I woke up to pale sunlight and almost cool weather I was determined to feel better about everything. To help, I put together a few happy thoughts.

Get Some Advice

from the Pixel Prince

Make a Wish

The Gardens of Marqueyssac via Oh By The Way

Be Blown away

from Klips n' Scraps

And Remember...

Because It's Awesome and the I Am Project

For every girl, a garter

Yesterday, I pushed through one of the hardest workouts I've done yet. Running, jumping, weights, situps - I'm lucky I can even feel my lower body today.  I take that back; I'm so sore numb is looking pretty good.

Yeah, sometimes the road to strength is a painful one. So far, though, it's been worth it; not least because work-out bloopers make for awesome party chit-chat.

Imagine to talk we could stir up when I wear a garter to run the Mud Crusade later this month! I'm hoping to make an impact, but I need your help. Three of my lovely readers each submitted a phrase she feels captures her pursuit of her truest self.

From Vienne: Resilience

From Carol:        Shine

From Tiffany: Ever Hopeful, Ever Strong

Now is your chance to weigh in!

In the comments below, tell me which phrase you think I should have embroidered on my Mud Crusade garter OR submit a write-in vote. I'd also love to hear the reason behind your choice.

Next Monday I'll announce the winning adage AND the commenter that will receive her own garter.

What are you waiting for? Get your vote on! Contest is now closed.

What's the word, bird?

The word of the day is Scoutie. As in, that's where you'll find today's post.

Original art by Valentina Ramos. Click on the image for more details.

Word.

Find Inspiration In: Reversible Things

Let's be honest here, darlings.  There are few things in life that top a two-for-one deal. And this fall I am coming across all sorts of dual-sided and reversible goodies.

Just this past weekend I dipped into my project files to make a couple of these headbands from Jessica at Happy Together. (I'll put my photos on Facebook   if you are interested, but click on the image below for Jessica's tutorial).

And now I'm dying over the adorableness that is this cape from Les Petites Indecises.

Personally, I'd totally wear that cape, but for those of you who like to dress like a grown-up, Idea2Lifestyle offers the Vol de Nuit reversible Jacquard skirt in their Etsy shop.

Reversible is even chic outside of fashion.

Okay, this jacket is not reversible, but it is chic and that lining truly makes it. Corinnea is a genius.

Are you also feelin' all this tasty duality? It definitely has my creative juices flowing!

Inspiration Found: Red Wedding Shoes

Remember these fabulous shoes for an upcoming Las Vegas wedding?

Red satin pumps from Payless

Well these shoes, along with their owner's dream for a "vintage, glamorous, Hollywood, Old Las Vegas, classic, shocking and beautiful wedding," were the inspiration for a custom-made garter. 

In case the shoes weren't enough, I wanted to whet your appetite for my creation by first sharing someone else's. Jill Fontaine of Stay Calm Cupcake left a comment on my Facebook page proclaiming red wedding shoes bring to her mind...

Red Velvet Cupcakes! 

Vegan Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes via Whisk Kid

Hmmm, Jill's suggestion is pretty tasty, but I think my garter is down right decadent. What do you think?

 

Michele garter custom made by Never a Plain Jane Designs

I used 100% black and red silks upcyled from a couple of blouses scored from a local thrift store. I found the feathers here. I'm thrilled with how it turned out and the bride, Michele, is just over the moon!

Are you feeling inspired yet?  Tell me about it in the comments. And if you aren't, maybe you should contact Jill for some cupcakes.

Things inspiring me today

White Lotus Lamp

Pretty Penelope Dress

Repunzal's Crown from the movie Tangled

You read that last one right: I was totally inspired by Repunzal's crown while watching Tangled with Em and Ben.  I mean, look at it upside down:

I don't know about you, but I see one gorgeous garter!

In what "odd" places have you found inspiration lately?

Bride Style - Retro Glam with Ease

Today I have a special treat weeks in the making: a collaborative post with magician of film and (mascara) wand: Courtney Zepeda-Hawkes of Glamourpuss! Courtney is an artist in every respect.  She is equally adept with Pencils, powders, film, and facets. Today, she is loaning me her 17 year expertise as a make-up artist and photographer to help style a fictitious bride, designed to inspire you!

Meet Liz.

Source

Liz is a no-nonsense kind of bride. She just doesn't go for a lot of frivolity and prefers to devote her time to pursuing her interests instead of passing trends. I can tell you now that this bride is not about the fuss of a wedding - the traditions that tend to stifle some brides are not even a concern for Liz. This wedding is her way.

NPJ Space for the Production of Pure Delight - Brainstorming

I must have logged 4 hours creating a mood board for my workroom.  For one thing, I love playing in Photoshop.  I'm a rank amateur, but I love it. Second, putting a room together and harboring a case of OCD is totally debilitating. Yes, I know this will only be my work area for three years. Yes, I know we rent and it is senseless to put forth too much effort selecting wall color and dreaming of wall-mounted storage. BUT. This is the place where I CREATE and I have to be INSPIRED. So here's what I have:

 

1.  My mood board background color (Pantone shade BCBC97) is the closest I could come on a computer screen to matching Freshaire Choice in FA024 "Northern Pear Tree." I think this will be my wall color.

2. Emmy Panels as I mentioned here and available at Pottery Barn Kids.

3. Pegboard storage wall as pictured in the Better Homes and Gardens, Special Storage Issue. I could paint it the same shade as the wall, but I think pink (see curtains) would be more fun. Let's face it: I am Janice. I like pink.

4. Amazing pendant light found on Etsy - Blue Bird Heaven. My room has and needs a ceiling fan thanks to Florida's year-round humidity, but I love this as a lamp shade for...

5. A lamp we currently own. This is yet another demonstration of my husband's great taste.  He bought this lamp long before I came along so I can take no credit for this great number. 

6. Vika Fintorp table top and legs from Ikea. The best part of this table (besides the fun legs) is that it is stainless steel so when I lay my fabric out I can keep it in place with magnets.  That Ikea, they are smarter than their prices imply.

7. Another Etsy find, this plant stand is from Royal Oak Cottage's shop. It seemed only fair that I include links to the products on my mood board, but, Internet, if you buy my plant stand before I have a chance to I will cry for days and resort to eating chocolate-covered marshmallow pumpkins. None of us wants that. Won't this stand look awesome holding spools of satin ribbon? Yes, yes it will. So leave it alone.*

8. Chelsea Swivel Chair from Pottery Barn Teen.

And that is where I stopped.  I actually spent several more hours looking at chandeliers, art, areas rugs, and daybeds, but the choices were too many.  I know my list of "wants" will change a million times during the process of setting up shop but I still like to start with firm ideas.  That said, I have some posts full of potential NPJ decor. So Y'all come back now.

*Despite my threats, I am a HUGE supporter of Etsy artisans and it would thrill me to no end if you guys bought something because of me so please, knock yourselves out.  Besides, with the pending opening of MY VERY OWN ETSY SHOP I want to encourage perusal of all sorts. So go forth and buy! (But if you buy my plant stand feel free to find me another and maybe hook me up with a gift certificate).

A space of my very own

In roughly 20 days the chaos that is moving will commence.  I have something like a thousand things to think about. Plus, another thousand things I want to blog about.  I mean, I haven't had a chance to introduce you to The Commodore or tell you about my latest foils in cooking, and my advances in sewing, and all the fantastic books I've been reading. How is it life always gets in the way of good blog content about life? But, to be honest, I can only think about one thing: My. New. Office.

Ben and I have (tentatively) decided that one of the upstairs bedrooms will be designated as the Never A Plain Jane Space for the Production of Pure Delight. Or maybe we'll just call it Mommy's Craftroom. It will be a room of my own with a closet and window, real hardwood floors and space to house my sewing machine, computer, various stuffs from which to make things. I'm pretty stoked.  So while I should be considering whether I want to throw out my old running shoes or move them to Florida, taking pictures off the wall and puttying the holes, or finally doing a blog post on all the places and spaces I've enjoyed this past year in Virginia Beach, what I'm really thinking about is wall color, internet shopping for area rugs and task lighting, and getting caught up in looking at decor porn. And, since I have obviously already given in to my desires here, I thought I should include you in the fun. 

A short while ago I read this article about cool and warm colors on Apartment Therapy which says "cool colors are therefore best in private rooms where concentration, calmness and rest are most important, such as the bedroom, office, and nursery."   I thought about the space I'd be decorating (because, I can't seem to stop anyway) and I looked at the decor porn that inspires me (Botanical Brouhaha, Brooklyn Limestone, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, etc., etc.) and I decided cool colors would be best.

Maybe I should take a page from Mrs. Limestone's book and go with gray or blue-green walls. Benjamin Moore's Silver Sage?  Or I could pick something with more blue:

Coddington Design via Sketch 42 and The Reluctant Floridian

I love that chair. I also love this blue room from the sadly defunct Domino Magazine:

 That family tree mural/photo wall makes my heart stop. Or perhaps, start with the black and white right on the wall as seen in this photo:

from Mythology Vintage via Sketch 42.

It all makes sense, it feels totally me, and then. Then I see these curtains:

They're from Pottery Barn Kids. And they are pink (a warm color). With monkeys. But I love them.  Every time I see them I am totally smitten kitten and I want them. Can't you totally see them fluttering against my Silver Sage walls from shabby chic curtain rods and cinched with lovely sage or almond-colored tiebacks? The playful brown monkeys playing off a rich espresso-stained desk...

While I'd like to think I want a sophisticated room with classic colors that'll last me through several moves, I think we can all agree I am still a whimsical little girl. But, internet, I'm still open to your opinions.  What do you think?

They call me mellow yellow...

Some of you might be asking "Dear Janice, where have you been?" Don't worry, I'm still here, I've just been indescribably obsessed with this blog. Talk about living the dream! Not the dream where one has oodles of money and a vacation home in St.. Thomas - not that dream. Mrs. Limestone, from what I can tell, makes a pretty average living for a New Yorker and she has no problem putting in the time to find things that fit both her taste and budget be it side tables or excursions to exotic realms. No, no, she lives the dream of finding a home you love in place you love and putting your stamp on it.  Okay, that and the totally posh vacations she takes and shares with her readers.

Thanks to Mrs. Limestone's sweet photography skills, I have developed a new-found love for the color yellow. To be honest, I think it was Kit's chic wedding prep blog that first put the color into a favorable light for me. But now I can't stop thinking about it!

 For Entertaining:

Top row: Brooklyn Limestone

Right: via Love, Kit 

As Decor:

Top: Ish and Chi

Bottom: via  Brooklyn Limestone

Whimsically:

via: Brooklyn Limestone 

Honestly, yellow is everywhere.  Check out some of the stuff Amy found for me to enjoy when I was craving a lemon party. Real Simple did a spread on yellow decor and I swear the color is all over fashion.  It looks like it is going to be a sunny sort of spring.

Inspire me - Purple and Gold

One of the great things about moving is the opportunity to decorate. I am not one of those lucky beings who managed to get herself into an apartment complex that encourages free color expression on their walls.  No, no, I am one of those sad sad little people forced to live with beige walls.  Contractor beige.  Even better, some of the touch up paint between us and the previous tenant was done using a single coat of flat contractor beige.

But, I like a challenge. I've turned my attention to our "study" where we need some curtains in a pretty bad way.  First, the windows are kind of drafty so the extra layer would be nice.  Second, the walls are beige and the floor-to-ceiling bookcases are espresso so we pretty much have a brown and beige room with draft windows.  Doesn't that sound delightful? I am leaning toward brightening the space with curtains in a spring green, but a recent post by Amy has stuck me with purple on the brain. That might explain why I am suddenly drawn to these updated uses for the Mardi Gras color scheme:

and

Both photos can be found at Apartment Therapy. What about you?  How would you add a little something to a brown and beige room?